For a seven year period from 2005-2012, BMW marketed the e63/e64 6-series in the United States. This was the second incarnation of the popular six-series and included a coupe and a convertible. As with all BMWs, the six-series features exceptional engine performance and superior handling, but unfortunately some of the vehicles have experienced a variety of steering issues.
One of the problems that some owners have noted is that the Active Steering Fault light comes on for no obvious reason. The car will still operate normally. The first thing to do would be to simply top-off the power steering fluid and see if that solves the problem. Another simple solution could be a dying battery. Have it checked or possibly replaced.
Another cause could be a defective Active Steering Control module, as the hardware has been known to fail in some Bimmers. The fault light will also sometimes come on after the alignment has been adjusted by a service center that is unaccustomed to BMWs. The car has a steering angle sensor, which must be reset after alignment. To possibly solve this, have the active steering sensor initialized by a BMW professional service center. You need not visit a dealership, a certified BMW mechanic can do the job.
One of the more serious causes of this problem could be a failure of the Active Steering Racks. If these fail, the car will handle very “heavy” and it will be extremely hard to turn the wheel. This is often accompanied by a loud moaning or whining noise.
If your vehicle experiences any of these problems, contact a nearby BMW maintenance specialist to fix the car. These problems could end up affecting the transmission and end up being a very costly repair if ignored.
Search for a local, independent BMW repair shop with BMW mechanics that have dealer-level expertise at a fraction of the expense.